Key support



Nov. 9, 1954 R. c. LEGAT 2,693,693

KEY SUPPORT Filed June so, 1949 WITNESS IN VEN TOR.

i BY iiaflsierdLganr i V/HTTORNEY rates Patent 'Ofiice 2,693,693 Patented Nov. 9, 1954 KEY SUPPORT Robert C. Legat, New Britain, Conn., assignor to The G. E.'Prentice Mfg. Co., Kensington, Conn., a corporation ofConnecticut Application June 30, 1949, Serial No. 102,312

:11 Claims. (Cl. 70456) This :invention relates to an improved key supporting ,means particularly adapted to be employed in key cases, *forexarnple, of .the conventional leather type.

vIn the key'cases now commonly in use, the clips or hooks from which the keys are suspended, are usually releasably connected to the key supporting means so that they ican be detached at will. In order to accomplish this, such key supporting means is usually provided with .a.retaining member, such as a spring, a plate, a bar, etc., ordinarily arranged so that the hooks are securely retained-in position on the key supporting means and operable by a manual manipulation to free the hooks so that they can be detached. Such retaining means however, .either secures or frees all of the hooks at the same time, .so that there is always the danger of other hooks than the particular one it is desired to "detach, becoming released dropped or lost when the retaining means is manipulated to free all of the hooks.

The primary purpose of the present invention is to ,provide an ,improved key supporting means from which ,a key hook maybe removed without the necessity of first manipulating a retaining member or of freeing the other key hooks from their secured condition on such means.

Other objects and advantages of the invention as well asrthenovel details of construction of my improved key supporting means, will become apparent from a perusal of e the following description when read in connection with .the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front elevational view .of my improved key holding means, showing the same secured-to a portion of a key case; Fig. .2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 22 of Fig. .1; Fig. 3 is a side-elevational view of the parts shown in .Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the rear .plateof the key supporting means; Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the rear plate shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a front elevational view-ofthe 'front plate of the key supporting .means;.Fig. 7 is a sideelevational view of the front plateshown in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is an elevational-view of a suitable .hookfor use with the key supporting means of this invention, and Fig.9 is an elevational view of another .form of .hook which may be employed.

.Inthe drawings, .the reference numeral 10 designates generally, a portion of akey case which may be formed vof leather,.or the like, and which may have any suitable configuration. Secured to the key case portion 10 by fastening elements, such as'rivets 11, is the key holding means .of ,therpresent invention. The key holding means is composed of two ,plates which are indicated generally by the reference numerals 12 and 13, and which are fashioned from sheet metal blanks by suitable stamping operations. The metal .material of plate 13 may be of lighter .gauge .than that -of plate 12 and is preferably ,m-ade .of .spring metal. As'can be seen more clearly in Figs. ,2 and 3 .of .the drawings, plate 12 constitutes the outer or front .plateof ithe key holdingmeans and plate 13 constitutes therearplateof suchmeans, both plates being secured .togetherand to .the key case portion 10 by .means ofthe .r'ivets 11.

Front plate ,12 .is .formed to provide a bead-like or outwardly bulged portion .14 .extending along its .upper edge throughout the .entire length of such plate. The

bead-like .portion .14 .is substantially U-shaped in cross- -sentionfil configuration .and .is provided with six trans- Jzerely disposed slots .15 arranged in equally spaced, ,parallel relation, inwardly :from the ends .of such portion. As;is.shown;more..clearly.in Fig. .2 of ,the\drawings, ,the iupper'rends of the slots .15 terminate substantially at the the frontplate 12.

front plate.

-line of juncture of1the upper rear-edges of such portion '14 with an integral rear, .flat plate portion 16 which is turned down ,to underlie portion 14 and substantially closes longitudinally the area defined :by the U-shaped portion 14. Thus, plate portion 16 (forms a backing ;for the bead-like portion 14 and protects the material of the casing from Wear which may be caused by the key hooks when the latter are inserted or removed from the key holding meansand during the use of the key case. The slots 15 terminate at their lower ends substantially at the .line of juncture of such portion 114 with :the body .of Intermediate their ends, in the region defined by the forward central longitudinal part of portion 14, the .slots 15 have enlarged :portions 17 :preferably of a configuration substantially conforming to the exterior configuration .of the heads 1-8 of the :hooks 19 to be inserted through such ,slots, 'but slightly greater in area than the cross-sectional area of vsuch heads order to permitready insertion of the hook heads therethrough.

The rear plate 13, like the front plate 12, is formed to provide a beadrlike or outwardly bulged portion 20 extending longitudinally along its upper edge for the entire width of such plate. The bead-like portion 20 of plate '13 issubstantially similar in cross-sectionalconfiguration to bead-like portion 14 of plate 12, but has an (exterior dimension less than that of the latter, so that it may be inserted within bead-like portion 14, as is shown :more'clearly in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Integral with the upper rear edge of the bead-likeiportion 20 is a rear portion 21 which is adapted to lie against the interior surface of plate portion '16 of the front plate. The bead-like portion 20 is provided with six transversely disposed slots 22 which are-arranged thereon so that inthe assembled condition of the ,parts, such slotswill be aligned with-the slots 15 of the front plate,

.as is shown in :Fig. 1 of lthe drawings. The slots 22 extend through the entire width of 'the rear plate porbody of the rear plate (note Fig. 4), so :thatsuch plate -13 is in-eliect formed EiIltO a plurality of spring fingers 23 which in the region of the bead-like :portion 20 are housed by the bead-like portion 14 of the front plate -12 and are located on 'each'sideof the ,SlOtS 15 of such The sides of slots 22 in :the region of 'such bead-like portion 20 are straight and parallel, so that portions thereof will beexposed by :the sides of the .en-

larged portions '17 of thefront plate slots 15, as can be seen more clearly in Fig. lot the drawings. Thus, the head '1-8-of a hook inserted throughthe enlarged portion 17 of a-front plate slot 15 will engage with the portions of adjacent spring fingers '23 exposed by such portion 17. The head 18 of the key book 19 is configured so that it exerts a camrningaction on such exposed portions of the spring fingers to force or spread the latter apart and thereby to enable such head to pass therebetween when the hook is being positioned on the key supporting means -or withdrawn :therefrom. Figure 8 of the drawings illustrates one configuration of head which may be employed in connection with the inventron. .As is shown in Figure 8, the'head 1'8=is sphereshaped, being formed by two hemispherically-shaped bead portions provided on the ends :of apiece of wire bent into the form of a loop. The wire of 'hook 19 is relatively "rigid, but has an inherent degree of springiness to enable 'the *two sides of the loop -to -maintain the two .head portions in engagement and to enable 'such sides to yieldingly-.resist'separation of thehead portions when a key .is inserted or'removed from the :hook. It will thus be noted that this shape of head provides at the outer and inner ends of the head, smooth, curved, diverging cammingsurfaees-which willtend tocauseadjacent spring fingers 23 'to move apart when drawn or forced 'therebetween in 'the detachment or attachment of a key:hook:19. In3the-hook 19?, shown in Figure 9 of the drawings, the head ,:18' thereof, iis ,a solid 'ball and the wire :of such hook is formed to :provide -a zsnap forrholding a.-key.

It will be understood :from the :foregoing, that when it :desired -;to attach a .key jhook ::to :the :key rhol-ding 3 place the head 18 of the key hook in the enlarged portion 17 of one of the slots 15 in the front plate and then force the hook inwardly. The force required to do this is not great because of the spring-like nature of the fingers 23. When the head 18 of the key hook is placed in position in the enlarged portion 17 of slot 15, the advanced end of the ball-shaped portion thereof will be located between the portions of the two spring fingers 23 which are exposed by such portion 17 and the rounded diverging sides of such portion of the head will engage with such exposed portions of the spring fingers. As inward force is applied to the key hook, the diverging sides of the advanced end of the head 18 thereof, will exert a camming action on the engaged portions of the spring fingers 23 and force the U-shaped portions thereof sideways within the bead-like portion 14 of the front plate; the thus spread spring fingers then permitting the head 18 to pass therebetween and into the chamber defined by such spring fingers. The movements of the U-shaped portions of the spring fingers 23 during the insertion of the key hook will be purely a sidewise movement, due to the confining action of the bead-like portion 14 and plate portion 16 of the front plate 12, on such U-shaped portions and the bent ends 21 of such spring fingers. As soon as the key hook head 18 has passed through the slot 22 between the spring fingers 23, the latter will return automatically to their normal positions, thereby locking the head of the inserted key hook in position on the key holding means. It will be observed that during this operation, the two spring fingers adjacent to the slot 15 through which the head of the key hook is being inserted. will be moved and none of the other spring fingers are affected. Also the two spring fingers which are so actuated, will be moved in directions which will more positively retain adjacent key hooks in position on the key holding means. Consequently, the spring fingers 23 will retain those key hooks which are positioned therebetween locked in position on the key holding means. When it is desired to remove a key hook from the key holding means, a reverse operation takes place. As outward force is exerted on the key hook to be removed, the diverging rounded surface portions on the head 18 adjacent to the loop of the hook will cam or spread the confining spring fingers apart until the entire head can pass therebetween and be withdrawn through the enlarged portion 17 of the associated slot 15 of the front plate 12.

It will be evident from the foregoing, that the present invention affords a simple construction of key holding means, which may be made of but two plates, so 0011- structed and arranged as to enable the key hooks to be individually detached without the usual separate manual manipulation of specially provided retaining means and without releasing from their locked condition on the holding means, those key hooks which it is not desired to remove. It will also be evident, that while I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention. various changes and modifications thereof, may be made without departing from the essential features thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A key support for a key case or the like, comprising a front plate having a bead-like forwardly projecting portion provided with a plurality of transverse slots, said slots having portions through which the heads of key hooks may be passed, a rear plate connected to said front plate and including a plurality of spring fingers arranged in spaced relation, said spring fingers having free end portions conforming in configuration to that of said headlike portion and positioned in said bead-like portion on each side of said slots so as to normally obstruct the passage of key hook heads through said slot portions, the spring fingers associated with each slot yieldably resisting movement away from such position during the passage of a key hook head therebetween.

2. A key support for a key case or the like, comprising a supporting plate having a quiescent elongated housing projecting forwardly therefrom and being provided with a plurality of transverse slots having enlarged portions through which the heads of key hooks may pass, a plurality of members separate from said housing and mounted for independent movement relative to said housing and to each other in a direction longitudinally of said housing and partly overlapping said enlarged slot portions sufiicient to normally obstruct the passage of key book heads through such slot portions, resilient means for normally maintaining each of said movable members in said normal position and yieldably resisting such longitudinal movement of any of such members away from such position during the passage of a key hook head through the slot portion associated with such member, at least one of said members being movable longitudinally of said housing upon insertion of a key hook head through the uncovered part of one of said slot portions, and means connected to said members for enabling the others of said members to remain in their normal obstructing position during the passage of a key hook head through such slot portion.

3. A key support for a key case or the like, comprising a supporting plate having a bead-like, forwardly pro-' jecting quiescent portion provided with a plurality of transverse slots, said slots having portions through which the heads of key hooks may be freely passed, blocking means separate from said bead-like portion and independently movable relative to the latter, said blocking means being housed in said bead-like portion and partly overlapping the sides of said slot portions sufiicient to normally obstruct the free passage of key hook heads therethrough, the exposed portions of the overlapping parts of said blocking means being engageable by key hook headsforced through the uncovered parts of said slot portions in the insertion or removal of key hooks and the part of said means blocking each slot portion under the force applied to a key hook head being forced therethrough, being independently movable into retracted position by the latter longitudinally of said bead-like portion to permit the passage of such key hook head through such slot portion without unblocking the other slot portions obstructed by said blocking means, and resilient means separate from said bead-like portion for independently maintaining each of the parts of said blocking means in normal blocking relation to said slot portions and yieldingly resisting such longitudinal movement of the parts thereof from such relation duringthe passage of key hook heads through said slot portions, said beadlike portion guiding said blocking means in their longitudinal movements.

4. A key support for a key case or the like, comprising a supporting plate having an elongated housing projecting forwardly therefrom, 'said housing being provided with a plurality of transverse slots having enlarged portions through which the heads of key hooks may freely pass, a pair of separate, independently movable blocking members arranged to normally overlap in spaced relation the sides of each enlarged slot portion and thereby obstruct the free passage of a key hook head through such slot, the opposed, exposed portions of the pair of members overlapping a slot portion being engagable by a key hook head forced therebetween and such members under the force applied to such key hook head being movable into retracted positions in opposite directions by the latter longitudinally of said housing to permit the passage of the key hook head through such slot portion and the others of said members remaining in normal obstructing position during such movement of such pair of members, and spring means connected to each blocking member for normally maintaining such member in normal obstructing position and yieldingly resisting movement of such member in a direction longitudinally of said housing away from such position during the passage of a key hook head through the slot portion obstructed by such movable member.

5. A key support for a key case or the like, comprising a supporting plate having an elongated housing projecting forwardly therefrom, said housing being provided with a plurality of transverse slots having enlarged portions through which the heads of key hooks may freely pass, a plurality of separate, independently movable blocking members positioned in said housing in spaced relation and arranged so that two of such members normally overlap in spaced relation each slot portion so as to reduce the size of the opening through the latter and thereby obstruct the free passage of a key hook head therethrough, the spaced, exposed portions of the two members overlapping a slot portion being engageable by a key hook head forced therebetween and such members under the force applied to such key hook head being arranged to be spread apart in opposite direction by the latter to permit the passage of the key hook head through such slot portion and the others of said members remaining in normal obstructing position during such spreading movement of such two members, and spring means connected to each of said blocking members for normally maintaining such member in normal obstructing position and yieldingly resisting movement of such member away from such position during the passage of a key hook head through the slot portion obstructed by such movable member.

6. A key support for a key case or the like comprising a front plate having a bead-like forwardly projecting portion provided with a plurality of transverse slots, said slots having portions through which the heads of key hooks may be passed, a rear plate connected to said front plate and including a plurality of spring fingers arranged in spaced relation, said spring fingers having portions positioned in said projecting portion on each side of said slots so as to overlap said slot portions beyond the transverse edges of said slots and thereby normally obstruct the passage of key hook heads through said slot portions, the spaced finger portions obstructing each slot portion being movable longitudinally of the bead-like portion in opposed directions to enable the passage of a key hook head therebetween and said spring fingers yieldably resisting such movement of said finger portions away from such normal obstructing position during the passage of a key hook head therebetween.

7. A key support for a key case or the like, comprising a plurality of separate, unitary independently movable members arranged in aligned, spaced relation and configured to define a longitudinally extending chamber, the space between adjacent of said members having a width less than the cross-sectional dimension of the head of a key hook to be passed therebetween into the chamber defined by said members, a fixed support and separate, independent spring members mounted on said support and supporting said movable members in such normal spaced relation, the spring members being constructed and arranged to yieldingly resist longitudinal movement of any two of said movable members away from such position during the passage of a key hook head therebetween without affecting the normal relative positions of the other of said movable members.

8. A key support for a key case or the like, comprising a supporting plate having a quiescent elongated housing projecting forwardly therefrom and being provided with two adjacent transverse slots separated by a transverse portion of said housing, each of said transverse slots having an enlarged portion through which the head of a key hook may be freely inserted or removed, blocking means separate from said housing and movable relative to said housing, said blocking means being normally located between said adjacent slots and partly overlapping one side portion of both said enlarged slot portions sulficient to normally obstruct the free passage of a key hook head through either of said slots, an exposed side edge portion of an overlapping part of said blocking means being engageable by a key hook forced in a direction at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said housing through the uncovered part of one of said enlarged slot portions in the insertion or removal of such key hook and said means under the force applied to said key hook head being movable relative to said quiescent housing into retracted position by such head longitudinally of said housing in the direction of the other enlarged slot portion to permit the passage of the key hook head through such first mentioned enlarged slot portion, and resilient means separate from said housing and connected to said blocking means for maintaining the latter in said normal position and yieldingly resisting such longitudinal movement thereof in either direction from such position during the passage of the key hook head through one of such enlarged slot portions, said housing guiding said blocking means in its longitudinal movements.

9. A key support for a key case or the like, comprising a supporting plate having a quiescent elongated housing projecting forwardly therefrom, said housing being provided with a plurality of transverse slots having enlarged portions through which the heads of key hooks may be freely passed, a plurality of blocking members separate from said housing and independently movable relative to the latter, said members being positioned in said housing and partly overlapping the sides of said slot portions sufficient to normally obstruct the free passage of key hook heads therethrough, the exposed portion of the overlapping part of each of said members being engageable by a key hook head forced through the uncovered part of its associated slot portion in the insertion or removal of such key hook and each of said members under the force applied to such key hook head being independently movable into retracted position by the latter longitudinally of said housing to permit the passage of the key hook head through such slot portion without the other members unblocking the other slot portions obstructed by said blocking members, and resilient means separate from said housing for normally maintaining each of said blocking members in said normal position and yieldingly resisting such longitudinal movement of any one of such members away from such position during the passage of a key hook head through the slot portion associated with such member while maintaining the other members in such normal position, said housing guiding said blocking members in their longitudinal movements.

10. A key support for a key case or the like, comprising a supporting plate having a quiescent elongated housing projecting forwardly therefrom, said housing being provided with a plurality of transverse slots having enlarged portions through which the heads of key hooks may freely pass, a plurality of blocking members separate from said housing and mounted in said housing for slidable movement relative to said housing and to each other and partly overlapping said slot portions suflicient to normally obstruct the free passage of key hook heads therethrough, the exposed overlapping parts of said blocking members being engageable by key hook heads forced through the uncovered parts of said slot portions in the insertion or removal of key hooks and the part of a member blocking its associated slot portion, under the force applied to a key hook head being forced therethrough, being slidably movable longitudinally of said housing into retracted position by the latter to permit the passage of such key hook head through such slot portion without the other members unblocking the other slot portions obstructed by said blocking members, and resilient means separate from said housing for normally maintaining each of said blocking members in said normal blocking relation relative to said slot portions and yieldingly resisting such longitudinal sliding movement of any of such members away from such position during the passage of a key hook head through the slot portion associated with such moved member while maintaining the other members in such normal position, said housing guiding said members in their longitudinal sliding movements.

11. A key support for a key case or the like, comprising a supporting plate having an enlarged quiescent housing projecting forwardly therefrom, said housing being provided with a plurality of transverse slots having enlarged portions through which the heads of key hooks may freely pass, a plurality of spring fingers separate from said housing and independently movable relative to the latter and to each other, said spring fingers having portions arranged in said housing so as to overlap said enlarged portions and thereby normally obstruct the passage of key hook heads through said enlarged portions, the finger portions being independently movable in directions longitudinally of said housing to enable the passage of a key hook head through any one of said enlarged portions without unblocking the other enlarged portions and said spring fingers yieldingly resisting such movement of said fingers away from such normal obstructing position during the passage of key hook heads through said enlarged portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,598.207 Lorber Aug. 31, 1926 1,613,760 Lorber Ian. 11, 1927 1,888,292 Schmalzgruber Nov. 22, 1932 1,959,207 Howe May 15, 1934 2,038,070 Welch Apr. 21, 1936 2,081,817 Johnson May 25, 1937 2,114,172 Boden Apr. 12, 1938 2,201,850 Dawson, Jr May 21, 1940 2,330,546 Berger Sept. 28, 1943 2,421,492 Geller June 3, 1947 2,582,033 Harvey Jan.. 8, 1952 

